A truly Great Man
by The Mother Rose
Summary: Another ramble that wouldn't get out of my head. Lots of character deaths but not bad ones. No pairings


**Disclaimer: Don't own these characters. Otherwise this wouldn't be showing up here.**

A Truly Great Man

Naruto was twenty-five now. He'd done many things for Konoha and given up a lot for it's people but this he could not and would not do. Tsunade-Obaachan wanted him to settle down. She wanted to see a little blond hair boy running around the streets of the village the way he used to but if Naruto had his way it wouldn't ever happen.

"Naruto, why won't you even try to find someone?" asked Tsunade.

"Easy. It could never go anywhere except to heartbreak. I've given up everything I intend to for this place."

"But the people don't hate you the way they used to. They've come to accept you for who you are. A lot of the girls would be very happy to have you as their guy."

"No Obaachan, they wouldn't. My tenant would ruin their good mood as soon as they figured out the cost to them my containing him entails."

"I don't understand."

"Simple really. This seal doesn't just bind the Demon to me as everyone has always thought. Kyuubi is bound to my blood for so long as anyone of my blood shall live. He can choose to stay inside my body but why would he when there is a new little life he can possess instead. One that doesn't have my seal to effectively keep him locked away. Kyuubi can spend the rest of eternity hopping from one host with my blood to another and none alive could ever stop him or predict when it would occur. He could choose when to host hop."

"But since you have the seal can't you stop him?"

Naruto laughed but it wasn't a sound of amusement. "No. That was part of the Shinigami deal. It turns out the Yondaime wasn't the only one to strike a deal with the Shinigami. Kyuubi did also. So long as I am the only one alive with my blood in his veins Kyuubi has no choice but to stay with me. Should my blood spread to another he has the choice to switch his host for whatever reason he wishes. The desire to live is a strong one Hokage-sama. Kyuubi will choose his existence over dying, don't you think? Yondaime messed up by not making sure the seal would follow Kyuubi but he didn't know and therefore I can't fault him."

"But surely there is something we can do?"

"Not as far as I can tell. I could put the seal onto my child but what happens when I am dirt in the ground and Kyuubi switches to a new host without the seal? And that will happen eventually. No Obaachan. My line dies with me and so does my bloodline gift."

"Bloodline gift? What bloodline gift? You don't have a bloodline gift."

"Everyone has a bloodline gift. Mine just happens to be that insane chakra pool and natural healing of injuries. I never said Kyuubi healed me when I got hurt. You all made that assumption and you know what they say about that. Fact is all Kyuubi does is direct my ability where it is most needed. But if I were willing to procreate as you wish my children would have another bloodline gift as well just because Kyu has been inside me all my life. Bloodline gifts do come from demons after all. Funny how man keeps forgetting that."

"So you mean to tell me that you will kill off your line just to see to it that Kyuubi doesn't become free?"

"Yes. I made a promise. I promised to keep Kyuubi contained until the end of my days and I will keep that promise. That's still my nindo. Father sealed this beast in me hoping I would be strong enough to keep his precious people safe. I promised him I would. Though those people are not precious to me anymore, the promise still holds. I will live much longer than anyone alive today thanks to my tenant but when I finally do die, I will take him with me by being absolutely certain there is no other he can jump to. So please Obaachan quit sending girls around to try and entice me. You aren't helping here."

"I just don't want you to be alone anymore, Naruto-Gaki. You're cutting yourself off from everyone and I don't like to see you so isolated."

"I'm not alone. I have you and Ero-Sennin and Iruka-Sensei as well as all the animals. Then there's Shizune-neechan and Anko-chan also. I have Shikamaru and Choji who come by and sometimes Lee stops by as well. That's plenty of people."

"But you're alone all the time. You never come into town any more or go visiting any more. You just come get missions and disappear for months at a time."

"Leave it alone, Obaachan. I'm fine with it. I don't need to come to the village anymore for anything except to pick up missions once in awhile."

A few seconds later before Tsunade could think of another argument Naruto was gone in a flash of golden light. He'd learned all his father's moves over the years and perfected many of them making him one of the most powerful shinobi on the planet. His name was feared in every missing-nin outpost of the Elemental World and in the villages not aligned with the Hidden Leaf. Even places he'd never been, which weren't very many, his name was well known. Many small towns had been freed from the morass of stagnation because he had paid them a visit once in his life. More statues of his likeness graced towns, as reminders of what the human soul could do when they just had the faith to believe in themselves, than any other entity. But, except for the statue in Wave, Naruto didn't know of them.

His small cabin on the outskirts of Konoha was all he needed to be happy and content these days. He'd given up living like a normal person when he'd finally figured out why he matured so much slower than his age mates did. It was Shikamaru who pointed out his slow development and together they had figured out the why of that. He'd known sooner or later someone would try to get him to choose a mate but he had no intention of passing Kyuubi on to anyone else. Especially as he knew the Kyuubi was not a good entity. Never would be. No matter how much of Kyu's chakra Naruto managed to pull away the fox would still retain enough to cause serious mischief if he got into a weak host and any human child would be weak enough for Kyu to break free. The drive to procreate was a strong one but luckily the girls he'd been attracted to in his younger days had made it clear they preferred someone else when push came to shove.

Sakura, his first attraction, had chosen to keep after the Uchiha even going so far as to lay with him during a mission. The Uchiha never returned her feeling but in the end it didn't matter. She had his child and then shortly after the kid was born they heard he was dead, killed in a fight with his brother when his brother's partner interfered. Itachi, the brother, killed his long-time partner for the interference and then left the organization he worked for since he no longer saw a need to stay there. No one understood Itachi, Naruto included, but now the man wandered the landscape not really doing anything in particular.

Hinata had been married off to another Hyuuga to benefit her clan and now had four children running around the Hyuuga clan compound. Each of her kids were strong and capable and they fought constantly knowing full well that only one of them could take their mother's place as head of the clan when she retired.

Ino had married Chouji so against his better wishes he still had some contact with her. She watched Choji like a hawk in case he got a hold of a bag of store bought chips she didn't approve of but she did seem to love him so Naruto didn't mind too much having her loud voice interrupting his peaceful home. The only thing she did that drove him nuts was to bring around pictures of girls she thought were cute or nice enough to be good companions for him. Unfortunately she still didn't seem to think much of Naruto personally. The pictures were of mostly plain civilian girls who would think a weak ninja was great while at the same time pushing him to quit the job. Both Chouji and Shika were working on getting her to quit before she ruined their friendship with him but she shared Tsunade's view of a man alone was not a happy man.

Temari had married Shikamaru though very few people actually knew that yet. They planned to have a child as soon as Ino turned up expecting just so that there would be an automatic playmate for the child. Like Naruto, they lived outside the boundaries of both Leaf and Sand and though Temari was still a ninja of the Sand while Shikamaru was a ninja of the Leaf. Both towns knew that if they ever chose to be on opposing sides, the two of them and their families would sit the battle out. That included Shika's parents and Temari's brothers and since Gaara was the leader of Sand, it was a safe bet that a conflict would not arise during their lifetimes.

That only left Tenten and Ayame both of whom were older than Naruto. Ayame had set her eyes on a young man of the civilian nature while Tenten could never look at anyone but Neji. Both women had gotten their chosen fellow although Ayame was now a widow after her husband had beaten her once too often for Teuchi's liking. Teuchi had found that her new husband didn't like her associating with the Demon and had taken it out on her because he, Teuchi, would not refuse Naruto his food. He had passed the message on to Naruto and Naruto had paid the man a visit. The fool could have lived if he had kept his cool and not attacked Ayame in front of Naruto but he didn't and so he died. Now Ayame just worked alongside her father and ignored the men who came into the stand seeking her favor. She wouldn't run the risk again of having to choose between the boy she saw as her little brother and a mate. She had no children but the lack didn't bother her as she had an idea of what they might have to go through if they had existed.

Anko had way too much fun playing the field and truthfully she'd never choose to knowingly bring a child into the world either for much the same reasons as Naruto had chosen. She didn't house a demon capable of host switching but the curse mark on her neck was still active even though Orochimaru had been dead for years, killed by Sasuke when the Snake Sennin had tried to take his body for his own. Anko was afraid of whatever traits the seal could pass onto her child and she really didn't want to wake up one day and find that the child she loved with all her heart was just a small carbon copy of her old Sensei. Just as no one fully understood Naruto's complex seal no one fully understood hers either. Otherwise they would have already removed it. They knew the seal connected to her brain and that if it was removed improperly it would kill her. They also knew it was connected to her darker emotions more than her lighter ones but that didn't help much when it came to blocking or removing it.

After the second time Naruto had gone to take the Chunnin Exams he'd finally figured out that no matter how good he did he would never be seen as anything other than a demon by the majority of his fellow villagers. He won that second exam hands down but still he was nothing but a genin to his home village. They refused to acknowledge his win because he did not have the permission of the council to take part in the exam. Though Tsunade had fought for him to have the win acknowledge and so did the village that had hosted the event the council refused outright.

After that he'd had no team left to spar with or do missions with. Sai had moved on and so had Sakura and Sasuke was already gone. He had learned everything Yamato-Sensei, Kakashi-Sensei, and Jiraiya-Sensei had to teach him and so there was nothing else for him to do. He spent many days perusing the shelves of the library and sneaking scrolls from the shelves Genins weren't allowed access to. He'd learned everything he could from the scrolls and then began to compile his own jutsu's so that he would have something to do that made life worth living for him.

The council had spread the word around the village that he was not allowed to ever forget what he had cost them and he had slowly drifted away from his fellow villagers. For the most part no one even noticed as he disappeared. Those who did notice were the ones who came to visit at his cabin and the ones he counted as his true friends.

Twelve years passed and now Naruto was thirty-seven. Temari and Shikamaru had stopped by with their daughter. The three were sitting outside under a large tree enjoying the peace and quiet of the woods while they watched the little girl play at being a ninja. She went to the academy in Konoha since she followed her Father's way of lazy intelligence rather than her Mother's more boisterous way of "wind attack first, ask questions later".

"Well, Tsunade has finally stepped down as Hokage," said Shika.

"Konohamaru finally get to the point where she trusts him to run things now?" asked Naruto.

"Yep. He showed her he could handle the council like a pro during their last meeting when they wanted to organize a raid to come force you back into the village so they could control what you do."

Naruto made a face. "Still trying to act like I'm a kid huh. When will they learn?"

"Maybe when they die they'll get the point. Your two biggest opponents have finally died and the third one is close to death. That bitch just doesn't want to give it up though," said Temari.

"Language, Dear. You would smack her for saying that about an elder," said Shika.

"Yeah Mom. Watch your mouth," said their daughter sticking her tongue out at her. Shike was a beautiful little girl with Temari's blonde hair and Shikamaru's dark colored eyes. She was a perfect blending of her parents in that she could use both wind and shadows to defeat an opponent but would always prefer the sidelines to active combat. She liked to watch the clouds whenever she had the free time to do so and gave her father a run for his money at Shogi and Go but she could not beat Naruto. Neither could Shika most of the time.

"So Danzo and Homura are dead and Koharu soon will be huh. Who's running ROOT now then?"

"Sai. He's troublesome. He said he wanted to come and see you. I think he wants to see if you'd be interested in joining now that Danzo is gone," said Shika.

"No. I will not join any group that sets itself outside the authority of the Hokage. Danzo was a problem when I was younger and not strong enough to defy him and win but he ceased being a problem a long time ago. Sai never was a problem contrary to what he thought."

"Hm. Agreed. Sai always did think you were less than you were but then again he always thought Danzo hung the moon and Danzo always thought all your strength came from your tenant. No matter who told him it didn't he truly believed that if he could just lock away your tenant you could be controlled and become the perfect weapon for him to wield in battle." Everything fell quiet as the three friends sat around enjoying the peace and quiet while they watched the little girl who was now laying on her back watching the clouds overhead. "So then you want me to tell him your answer or let him come hear it from you?"

"Would he believe you? He always was stubborn."

"Yeah he would believe us. He'd have no choice since he can't find you on his own," said Temari.

"What do you mean? I haven't hidden the cabin."

"Naruto, how long has it been since you actually left these grounds?" asked an exasperated Temari.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Dude, you're still the most troublesome guy I know. The only reason we can still come visit you is because the vines and shrubs recognize us and part for us to get through. The foliage around your cabin have grown to the point where if you don't know the cabin is here you'll pass right over it and never even notice you did so."

Naruto just sat looking at them wide-eyed. He'd wondered why his visitors had dwindled in the last few years but hadn't been curious enough to go investigate. "So that's why only the three of you come see me now-a-days. I wondered if I'd been away long enough to finally become forgotten. I'd hoped. . ."

"They still remember you, Naruto-sama," said Shike. "You're a whole section of study at the academy these days. I have to struggle to keep from laughing when they talk about you though."

"Why's that?"

"Cause they get everything wrong. Even your first mission to Wave they give the credit to that traitor guy and say the people of Wave were blinded by your tenant into thinking it was all you. But some of the kids from Wave get mad about that and they argue with the instructors for denigrating the hero of their hometown."

"Yeah well, that's expected I guess. Just don't you bother to argue with them. At least Sasuke won't be forgotten. He may have failed in his goals but at least he did stay true to them until the end. That should be remembered."

"That's not what he's remembered for. He's remembered for killing Orochimaru but the fact that he betrayed the Leaf to do so is glossed over. He's remembered for keeping you in check when you were on a team together and he's remembered as the one to show you for what you really were during the fight at the Valley of the End. Anyone who says anything different about the last Uchiha is told to be quiet unless we were there at the time. Since we weren't we're told we don't know what we're talking about."

"Sounds about right. What about Iruka-Sensei? Surely he is more tolerant."

"He died last year," said Shikamaru quietly.

"Oh yeah. I forgot he was gone now." Naruto drifted off for a few minutes remembering when he'd gone back to the village for the funeral of his oldest friend. He'd stood in the shadows and waited until everyone had paid their respects before steping forward to give his own farewell. Every month he went back to tend the bush he'd planted on the grave but no one ever saw him come or go.

Kakashi-Sensei had died on a mission and they'd never found his remains to bury him though Naruto knew exactly where the bastard was. He himself had taken care of the remains and then paid a visit to Tsunade to tell her to call off her search dogs. He told her the mission his old sensei was on and what the result of said mission was and that if she insisted on the search teams she'd just be wasting the village's money. He had no intention of that piece of garbage being buried in the village proper. Tsunade had agreed and recalled her teams immediately. Naruto had come back to his cabin and spent the rest of his time in seclusion.

"Are the council still trying to find that old sensei of mine?" he asked now.

"No. Tsunade convinced them that if after five months they hadn't located him they were unlikely to unless she was told the truth of where he had gone. Since they didn't want to admit they sent him to kill you, they couldn't tell her where to actually look. ROOT has orders whenever they are in this area of the woods to keep an eye out for anything that might look like him but most of them don't bother."

"How do you know so much about ROOT's orders to their people?"

"Sai told me. He thought your cabin might be in this area since this is the place Danzo told him that One-eye was sent on his last mission. Sai's pretty smart, you know."

"Um. Yes I remember how he was always watching everything. Did he ever figure out emotions?"

"No," snapped Temari. "He's still an ass."

"Language Dear," reprimanded Shika.

Temari sighed. "It's getting late. We should head back if we want to get home before sunset. Come on, Shike. Get your things."

Naruto walked his guests to the edge of the property and watched as the foliage parted for them and Temari spread her fan to give them a ride home. Once they were out of sight the foliage sprang back into place and his little clearing was completely shrouded from view. The foliage that surrounded his cabin clearing was enhanced by a special jutsu. Every year he renewed the jutsu so that the plants would keep his home sheltered. He wanted to be able to sleep peacefully at night without having to worry about infiltrators like his old Sensei coming to end his life.

No matter how hard he had tried to convince the council they just wouldn't believe that killing him was a bad idea. The Seal did have conditions but they refused to believe that. If he was killed in battle on an honorable mission his tenant could not escape but if he was killed by an ally, such as a fellow villager or his old Sensei, in a dishonorable manner than his tenant was free. Not only would the Kyuubi be freed like that but he would regain all his own chakra plus be given Naruto's immense chakra as well. Not that Kyuubi didn't have enough chakra already but that was the deal and the main reason Naruto had moved to this cabin outside the village.

He went back into his cabin and prepared a small meal before heading for his journal room. He would record everything he learned today and then head for bed. Kyuubi had been quiet listening to the happenings of the village he'd tried to destroy all those years ago. All the events that Naruto had gone through were recorded in the journal from his very first day of life all the way up until now.

A year later Naruto got news from the toads that Jiraiya was dying and he went to bring the old man to his cabin for his final days. He stayed near the old man until he took his last breath and then sent his friends to bring Tsunade to the cabin for his funeral. It was Jiraiya's request to be buried where his heart was. He'd explained years earlier that Naruto and she were the only reason he still kept gathering info for the Leaf. That if it hadn't been for the two of them he would have disassociated from the Leaf when the Yondaime died or at least when Sarutobi had died. He didn't like what the people of the Leaf had become and he could find nothing good left in them. So the two friends buried the old man in the clearing behind the cabin. Now there were two gravestones in the small cemetery, one for Kakashi and one for Jiraiya.

"Naruto, why did you give him a remembrance stone when he tried to kill you and hated you for not bringing the Uchiha back?" asked Tsunade when she saw the stone.

"The remembrance stone in the village was the only thing that really meant anything to him. He didn't hate me for failing to bring back Sasuke. He hated me for being what he wasn't. Strong enough to try. He watched his team destroyed and wasn't strong enough in his own eyes to save them. Over the years he convinced himself that he didn't even try to save them because of his true belief that nothing was more important than the mission. Even though he told everyone to value their comrades above all, he never truly believed it. And so I gave him in death that which brought him the most comfort in life. His own remembrance stone. If you'll notice only the names of those he truly cared for are on that stone."

Tsunade knelt down and read the stone: Hatake Sakumo; Uchiha Obito; Inuzuka Rin; Namikaze Arashi; Uchiha Sasuke. Only five names in total. She noted the lack of Kakashi's name on the stone but then she raised her eyes to the top of the stone and noted it's name: Hatake Kakashi's Special Remembrance Stone. May it bear him company in his next life as it did in this one. She nodded once. Yes it was fitting. In no way did Naruto show honor to the man but yet he did not dishonor him either.

Tsunade moved into the cabin with Naruto and passed the last few months of her life in peace and solitude. She got to know the man her little brother had become and it pleased her to see him so at peace with himself. When she passed away in her sleep Naruto contacted her friends from the village and she was taken back to the village to be interred with the rest of the Hokages before her. Of course, no one knew they were burying a bushin but Tsunade didn't want to be used the way the rest of the Hokage's had been the next time some power-hungry fool learned the forbidden spell to raise the dead. Only her true friends, Shizune and Konohamaru, knew Naruto was burying her in his small graveyard next to her old teammate and best friend. They were there for her burial and then went quietly on their way back to their lives in the village. Neither said a word when they saw and felt the peaceful nature of the glen. Both understood why this spot would be preferred. They took the secret of her true burial place to their graves.

The next few years passed quietly as the people who knew Naruto dwindled and those who thought of him kindly allowed those who didn't to forget his existence. The Akatsuki never managed to amount to anything but another group of power-hungry individuals who bit off more than they could chew. Every few years they would try for Naruto only to have their members sent home in a jar. Naruto liquidated them and their silly little rings as well. He always sent the remains back to their base and even thought they switched bases often he never made a mistake. Pein was getting very ticked off but for the life of him he couldn't figure out just how Naruto always knew where they were.

Finally the day came when Naruto received word that Itachi was dying and requesting to see him. It turned out the man had settled in Wave Country. Naruto went to him and listened to his dying confession. For the first time someone finally found out why Itachi was thought to be the one who killed his entire clan minus one and why it was done.

"I did it to protect what was precious to me at the time. For my little brother I would have done anything. He was so happy all the time. So innocent. I wanted him to remain that way forever. I thought if I took out the clan he would take our cursed eyes in a new direction but he didn't. He followed my footsteps. He sought only power to destroy. So I destroyed him. I sent him back where he came from and when I die my line will die with me. I made sure I sired no offspring."

"But he did. He has a son with Sakura though he never knew of it."

"Then you must make sure the child does not follow the rest of the clan. Make sure he uses his eyes in a new way. If he doesn't, then I ask you to kill him before he has his own child. Promise me the curse will end with me. My life goal was to end the curse our special eyes brought. The more tomoes we have the less mental balance we maintain. Promise me you will watch over him and, if you see him acting power-hungry, you will end his life. Promise me, Naruto."

"I promise. I will do as you request. Rest now. Would you like me to take you home to be buried with your compatriots?"

"I have no true compatriots, Naruto," he answered laughing and coughing. "I have only you since Kisame died at my hands. My greatest foe and rival all in one package. Maybe I could have caught you if I'd really wanted to but I knew if anyone could save Sasuke it was you. So I never wanted to take you out of the game."

"I know. Eyes like yours could easily have defeated me at anytime you wished when we were younger. I used to wonder why you always let me escape. At first I thought it was my own awesomeness but later when I was a little older and wiser I realized the truth. Actually Kyuubi got mad at my bragging and proceeded to royally tell me off. He pointed out all the little ways I could have been defeated if you'd really wanted to capture me, showing me mental images of the mistakes I was making and what you could have done had you wished to. I got the point then."

"No one could have held the Kyuubi except you. I always knew that and I also knew exactly how much I owed you for holding him at bay. Because you were born they didn't use Sasuke for it. You're existence saved my little brother's life." He broke down coughing again and conversation had to wait until he got his breath back. "The morning of the attack I heard the elders talking about what to do. Your father told mine that he would have to use Sasuke if you didn't hurry up and get born. My foolish father was actually excited about it. His second son would bring as much honor and acclaim to his name as I did but in a different way. I never understood why he didn't see you the same way he would have seen Sasuke."

"Maybe because I was born and prevented Sasuke from being used? I don't know."

"Probably. that would have been like my father. Even though he was told chances were excellent that Sasuke would go insane or the seal would break and kill him young, Father could only see the honor he thought it would bring the clan." He fell silent as his breath rattled in his chest. It was getting harder to breathe with every passing minute and soon he knew he'd be no more.

Naruto knew it also. "When you have passed, I'll take you back to my place and bury you with honor, my friend. You'll share space with two Sennin and a Sensei who betrayed himself."

Itachi looked at Naruto with gratitude. "Thank-you. I could not ask but I hoped."

"You saved my life many times. Both before you left home and afterwards. That makes you my friend. My friends will die with honor and dignity and be buried the same way. Rest now." He stayed by Itachi's side until the man passed away a few hours later. Then he prepared the body for transport and took the remains back to his cabin where he laid him to rest. A headstone was created and carved for him commemorating his life. Then he sent notice to Leaf to remove Itachi from the Bingo books as he was dead. His death could be confirmed in Wave.

The council renewed their efforts to bring him back to the village but he ignored all their orders that he return. He also refused all missions sent to him because he no longer cared to work for his living. He had no need as the forest gave him everything he needed to survive and his money was held under a different name in Wave where he could get to it to purchase anything the forest didn't supply.

For the next three decades Naruto dropped off the grid. The Village of the Hidden Leaf withered on the bough while Wave Country grew stronger. His friends from his genin days grew elderly and began to pass on and as those who had visited him in his cabin died he retrieved them and buried them in his small graveyard. Temari rested beside Shikamaru and Kankuro. Ino beside Chouji and Shikamaru. He stole Hinata's body after her clan had interred her remains and buried her beside Neji and Tenten. Lee was next to her and Shino was beside him.

Sakura and Kiba he left to be buried in the village cemetery as both had decided to believe the council over their own eyes and teammates. In all the years Sakura had been married to Lee and Lee had come to visit Naruto she never once came along. He always told her she'd be welcomed but she always declined, not wanting to see him since he hadn't kept his promise and returned her first love. Shino would accompany him instead. Shino was at first hard to get close to but eventually they'd found a common ground and built a tight friendship.

Kiba just wasn't bright enough to think passed the box he was shown. The council told him Naruto was a weak little nothing that would forever be a genin and that's all he would ever see. Never once could anyone convince him he wasn't stronger than Naruto. Eventually everyone gave up and just left him to his delusions.

Even Akamaru couldn't make him see Naruto for who he truly was and man did that puppy ever try. The dog would sneak off from time to time to come visit just for the heck of it driving Kiba crazy until he felt like going home again. Much as Akamaru loved Kiba he hated how stupid and dense he could be and sometimes just needed to get away from him for a little while. Naruto's cabin made a perfect hiding spot because the foliage masked the chakra signatures of anyone inside the clearing whether it be animal, vegetable or mineral.

As a result the dog was actually buried in Naruto's yard when he finally died. It was unusual for a nin-dog like Akamaru to survive it's partner by long but Akamaru had outlived Kiba by ten years. A long time for one of his breed. He'd taken advantage of that situation to come live his final years in the cabin with Naruto. His clan had assumed, when he disappeared a month after Kiba died, that he'd simply gone off to die and rejoin his master. They had never looked for him figuring it was his right to choose where he wished to die.

Naruto never forgot his promise to Itachi but luckily he never had to keep the promise as the night Sasuke's son showed his mental instability he went on a rampage, killing his own Mother. Before he could kill his half-siblings Lee killed him. He was buried in the village next to the mother who had loved him above her husband and other children, in an unmarked grave as befitted a murderer. The council blamed Naruto for his instability though how they figured it to be his fault was anyone guess. No one could figure that out since it had been years since Naruto had set foot in the village and Sakura had never once allowed Naruto to so much as see the boy let alone speak to him. She had avoided Naruto from the day she had found out she was pregnant with the child until the night the child killed her.

Gaara retired and after a few months he moved to the clearing with his old friend. Though he no longer had Shakaku inside him the way Naruto held Kyuubi his life had been extended also and the two spent many decades together reliving their younger days when they still believed that they could change the way of the world.

The little graveyard would eventually hold two more bodies as both Naruto and Gaara passed away. Gaara died first and Naruto buried him in a clear spot. And when Naruto finally died it was Shike's great-great granddaughter who came to bury him. Shikamaru and Temari had made it a pledge of their family to Naruto that so long as one of their blood remained in the world he would not be allowed to be totally alone. So each generation brought the next to visit the old man that lived in the woods passing the pledge down from generation to generation along with the tales of the great deeds the old man had performed in his younger days. And when he finally died it was one of their blood who buried him beside his true friends.

His passing wasn't even noted in the village of his birth as all those who would have known him had already passed on themselves. Though his name is still taught in the academy, his history and story are incorrect as is often the case when those writing the history don't like the person. Though the Nara family does know the true story of his life since Jinchuuriki's was something they understood better than the average person having had one in their own family and having adopted Naruto into their extended family even if he didn't know it. They made sure that no matter which town their children chose to pledge themselves to the children knew the truth of both Naruto and Gaara's lives.

He was one hundred years old when Gaara died and one hundred and twenty-five when he himself died. He died with a smile because Kyuubi was cursing his name for not having produced a child for him to transfer into.

His gravestone simply read:

_**Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto**_

_**Age unknown**_

"_**Here lies a truly great Man. **_

_**He made a promise of a lifetime and He kept it. **_

_**May He finally Rest in Peace**_,

_**Knowing His job is done."**_


End file.
